Meet Me In My Dreams
by Ness Ayton
Summary: When Bilis Manger returns with a neural disruptor and revenge in his heart, Jack is sent into the twilight dream-world of his past lives. Can the team bring him back to the present before he suffers permanent brain damage? Jack/Ianto - please note rating


**Meet Me In My Dreams**

**By Ness Ayton**

**Usual disclaimer - I don't own them even though I asked ever so nicely, well I thought I did. Perhaps the two drunks are mine! **

**Please, please, please note the rating, it's there for a very good reason; if you don't like m/m action don't read - you have been warned. Otherwise I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

The streets of Cardiff were wet and glistening in the rain which fell silently from the dark night sky. Tall lamps were haloed as their light split the rain into a myriad tiny rainbows. Ianto felt the water trickling down his neck as he ran along yet another deserted pavement, hunting who or whatever had come through the Rift this time, and he shivered. As his feet pounded in time with his heart, his mind wandered to where he really wanted to be - curled up in a warm bed, naked and with Jack sunk balls deep within him. He could almost feel the familiar sensation of the Captain's cock stroking his prostate and had to stop to take a deep breath to regain his equilibrium so that he could continue the chase. As he bent double, hands resting on his knees, taking in gulps of air and rain, he listened to the voices of the other team members chattering in his earpiece as they searched for the Rift intruder.

"Tosh, any update on that energy source?" Jack's voice, cutting through the chatter, made him smile, so professional, so focussed. He wondered what his lover would think if he knew where his own thoughts were wandering.

"It's coming from about twenty yards in front of you," Toshiko's voice responded, serious and just as professional.

Ianto stood up, took another deep intake of breath, and set off in the direction he knew Jack had taken. Rounding a corner he came to an abrupt halt just in time to see Bilis Manger step from the shadows, raise an unfamiliar weapon to his shoulder and fire at the Captain. He heard Tosh calling Jack's name in warning; heard Bilis saying "surprise" and both heard and felt the crackling blue discharge that leapt from the weapon towards the Captain. It all happened as if in a dream, his limbs refusing to move as he saw Jack crumple slowly to the ground. Through a red mist of anger he watched as Manger walked across to Jack and prodded the Captain's body with his walking stick. The man then turned and looked the transfixed Ianto straight in the eye before turning and walking off; and suddenly Ianto found he could move again.

"Jack!" he screamed as he raced across the road towards his fallen lover. He skidded to his knees at Jack's side, aware that more than rain was running down his face. He lifted the Captain's head into his lap and shivered as he saw the beautiful blue eyes now cold and staring. He cradled the man to him, rocking to and fro, keening softly. He felt a hand on his shoulder as Owen dropped to the ground beside him.

"Ianto!" Gwen's slightly exasperated voice sounded in his ear. "He can't die."

"Hurts like he can," Ianto gulped back at her, still rocking the lifeless body.

"Let's get him back to the Hub," Owen sighed, "then he can at least come back in the dry and warm."

Ianto nodded in agreement but couldn't help noticing the worried expression on the doctor's face. He helped Owen lift Jack and carry him to the SUV which Gwen had thoughtfully collected and driven round to them. The Captain was laid on the back seat, his head resting in Ianto's lap. For a moment the young Welshman imagined Jack coming back to life, finding where he was and sucking him off, relishing doing it in the presence of the others without them knowing that anything was going on. He could feel a tingling beginning at the base of his spine as he reacted to the erotic nature of his thoughts. Damping down on the daydream, he took a deep breath and ran a finger down Jack's cheek as he came to the sudden realisation that Jack had been "dead" for longer than normal. He raised his head and found himself looking straight into Owen's sympathetic eyes.

* * *

Privately Ianto had always found the autopsy room to be cold and inhuman; now, with Jack lying on the table, stripped to the waist and connected up to numerous monitors by a network of wires, it seemed doubly so. Owen was the only one who was busy, checking the monitors and wires, whilst Gwen and Toshiko were standing around on the higher level, watching - like vultures, he thought, and wondered why he'd never seen it before. Because now it's Jack lying there, he told himself as he pressed tight against one of the walls, chewing on his nails, and aching to go to his lover but knowing that he had to leave Owen free to work. There was a cold dull ache in the pit of his stomach as he watched the doctor attending to Jack.

"His vital signs are almost nonexistent," Owen observed, half to himself, half to the team.

"But he can't die," Gwen repeated her mantra. Please change the record, Ianto thought viciously and then mentally kicked himself, after all they were just as concerned as he was.

"Looks as if he's been hit by some massive neural disruption. He might not be able to die but he can be rendered unconscious. He seems to be comatose at the moment," Owen continued, ignoring Gwen totally.

Over the other side of the room a machine beeped loudly.

"What's that?" Ianto asked, startled, despite his resolution to allow Owen to work in peace.

"Brain activity monitor. His brain is still working even though he's in a coma. And it looks as if it's working overtime," Owen replied without looking up.

"And those numbers?" Toshiko asked, indicating another monitor.

"His neural pathways are shutting down. My guess is that this has driven him to wander somewhere in his past," Owen said, glancing up apologetically at Ianto. The Welshman just stared back at the doctor. There was a long silence as everyone digested the information.

"What can we do?" Gwen asked at last.

"Find that disruptor; it may hold the answer," Owen suggested.

"Conference room – now," Gwen advised, turning to walk out of the room, closely followed by Toshiko. Owen moved across to the steps but was stopped by Ianto.

"Where is he?" the Welshman asked quietly.

"Don't know, mate," Owen admitted. "I'm only guessing that he's somewhere in his past. He could be anywhere or nowhere. I'm sorry, Ianto." He patted his colleague awkwardly on the shoulder before running up the steps after the girls. "Come on, we need to talk tactics." Ianto pushed away from the wall and moved to the table. He lingered there for a moment, brushing Jack's forehead with a soft kiss, before he turned and reluctantly followed Owen.

Ianto tried not to look at Jack's empty chair as they gathered in the conference room. Each member of the team sat uneasily around the table, trying to avoid the others' eyes, unwilling to open the conversation. Eventually Gwen took the lead.

"So, bottom line Owen," she said.

"Something has disrupted all the neural pathways in Jack's brain. If we don't

reverse the disruption he will live for ever but as a vegetable," Owen repeated some of what he had already told them but the last piece shocked them. Ianto blanched and felt his head go light with the thought of Jack being lost to him for ever. Tears pricked at the back of his eyes and he blinked hard to stop them falling in front of the others.

"Who?" Gwen wondered, unaware of her colleague's distress.

Ianto lifted his head wearily.

"Perhaps I was hallucinating," the Welshman said, "but I'm sure I saw Bilis."

"Bilis?" Gwen squawked. "How's he come back?"

"Well he always was able to move through time and we don't really know where he went after he…..we raised Abaddon," Owen observed.

"How are we going to tie him to this time then?" the ever practical Toshiko wanted to know. "That's always supposing we even find him."

"Oh, we'll find him. We have to," Gwen responded with gritted determination

"Tosh, you have to find us that energy source again. Oh, and we'll need something to hold Bilis suspended in this time," Owen added.

"No pressure then!" Toshiko groaned. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good," Owen said encouragingly.

"Tosh, you get on with that. Owen and I will start tracking Bilis; you join us later with Ianto." Gwen was happier now they had a plan.

Ianto shook his head, surprising them all.

"You go. I'll stay. We can't all leave Jack when he's lost." He was still trying hard to keep the tears in check but knew that he was probably fighting a losing battle and really didn't want the others to see. Owen nodded at him in understanding and walked out of the room with Toshiko close on his heels. Gwen paused in the doorway before going back to the Welshman.

"You've got to bring Jack back. I can't do this without him anymore," Ianto sniffed.

"I know, pet," Gwen whispered, drawing him up and into a hug before pushing him gently towards the door. "Go on; he needs you." Ianto nodded, unable to trust his voice again, and left the room. Gwen watched him go, wiping a tear from her eye before turning impatiently and walking out.

Ianto ran down the steps into the autopsy room and crossed over to the table. He straightened the sheet over Jack's body, checked that the wires were still in place and turned to look at the monitors. Satisfying himself that everything was working and in place he turned back to the table. Resting his hands on the cool surface he looked down at his lover.

"Where are you, Jack?" he whispered.

* * *

_The street was like something straight out of Dickens, lit by gas lights with begging urchins and prostitutes all around and Jack found himself walking through all this, dressed in a period suit with cloak, top hat and walking cane. Picking his way through the detritus on the ground, he threw the occasional coin to an urchin and refused the advances of the prostitutes who were smitten by his good looks. Holding a white linen handkerchief to his nose to block out the stench, he turned into an alley and continued on his way._

_Suddenly a door opened and a warm light spilt down some steps and out into the alley, pooling at Jack's feet, making him stop and smile. He leant on the railings at the foot of the steps and watched the people coming down them. A bevy of chattering dancing girls was followed by a magician and some musicians. Then a young, statuesque blonde woman appeared at the top of the steps, framed by the light in the doorway. She looked around, scanning the alley below for someone. At her appearance Jack stood up straight to draw attention to himself. The woman spotted him and pulled her blonde wig off to reveal the short hair of a slender young boy. _

_Michael's face lit up as he ran down the steps towards Jack and when he reached the bottom he was enveloped in the older man's cloak. They picked their way back through the alley out into the street, talking quietly, until they came to an eating house, entering a smoky room full of actors, prostitutes and charlatans._

_Jack and Michael made their way to a small table in an alcove towards the back of the room where a waitress brought them plates of food and tankards of ale. They talked quietly while they ate, their hands occasionally touching and Michael smiling shyly at Jack. Suddenly a shiver ran down Jack's spine and he stopped talking, turning to look out into the room. _

_Standing amongst the other customers was a tall dark haired man, dressed in strange clothing. The man was curiously insubstantial because Jack could see the other side of the room and the clientele through him. A puzzled expression crossed the Captain's face and he turned back to look at Michael, touching the younger man's hand gently to attract his attention, wanting to know if he too could see the man. But when he looked back into the room to point him out to his companion, the stranger had disappeared._

_Jack frowned momentarily before turning his attention back to Michael, dropping a gentle kiss on the actor's lips and allowing himself to be drawn into something deeper that made him forget about the stranger._

* * *

As the night moved slowly on Ianto found that the autopsy room wasn't the most comfortable of places to be for a long period of time. He had always suspected this to be the case but was now finding it out first hand. He moved restlessly around the area – leaning against the wall, sitting on one of the units, sitting on the steps, sitting on a chair – desperately trying to get comfortable, all the time watching Jack. As he roamed the room he gradually divested himself of his jacket, loosened his tie, removed his tie, undid the top buttons on his shirt and rolled his shirt sleeves up until he was the very picture of dishevelment, a far cry from his normal smart self and just the way Jack liked him.

While Ianto prowled restlessly around the autopsy room, Toshiko was the model of stillness as she sat at her console single mindedly working away at a strange contraption. Eventually she laid her screwdriver down on her work surface and looked up at Gwen.

"I've no idea if it'll work. I can't test it," she sighed.

"We'll test it in the field," Gwen assured her.

"Why doesn't that comfort me?" Owen muttered under his breath. Gwen glared at him.

"Stay out of the way of the disruptor; we can't afford to have anyone else wandering in the past," Toshiko continued, unaware of Owen's disquiet.

"You think?" Owen muttered again and this time Gwen hit him before she turned to her own computer.

"Now let's pinpoint Bilis," the ex-policewoman said.

Owen finally stopped leaning over Toshiko's shoulder and moved across to his own computer. For ages they stared at their screens, desperately searching the city for a tell-tale power source. After what seemed like ages Gwen squeaked and poked a finger at her screen.

"Found him!"

Owen and Toshiko raced across to her.

"Where?" Toshiko demanded, scanning the screen.

"By the castle. Look. Let's go," Gwen said, grabbing her gun and stuffing it into her holster.

"I'll let Ianto know," Owen advised her, grabbing his own gun as he made his way to the autopsy room.

Ianto was standing, leaning against a wall watching Jack intently, his eyes wandering over the body that he knew so well looking for a sign that the Captain was returning to them. He barely glanced up as Owen ran down the stairs and went to stand beside him.

"We've located Bilis," the doctor told him softly.

"Good." Ianto acknowledged the information without taking his eyes off his lover.

"We're going to pick up him up now," Owen continued in the same soft voice.

Ianto finally managed to tear his eyes away from Jack and regarded Owen solemnly.

"Take care. One lost soul is enough," the Welshman said.

"Oh we'll take care, all right. I for one don't want to be trapped in my past. Living it once was quite enough! Will you be all right?"

"Yes. There's plenty of coffee."

Owen smiled at the remark and ran back up the stairs to join Gwen. Left on his own Ianto moved over to the bed again and sat down on the edge of it, re-arranging the sheet that covered Jack.

Returning to the main area of the Hub Owen watched as Gwen picked up Toshiko's contraption and attached it to her belt. They checked their guns once more, placed their earpieces in and grabbed their jackets.

"Take care," Tosh called as the door rolled back.

"Thanks, Tosh," Gwen called back.

As the door rolled shut behind them, Tosh turned back to her console but a movement at the edge of her vision caught her attention and she glanced up to see Ianto standing in the doorway of the autopsy room, his eyes unfocussed.

"Have they gone?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

As Ianto turned to go, Toshiko ran over and threw her arms around him, giving him a huge hug.

"Don't worry, Ianto, they'll find Bilis."

"I hope so. I do hope so," Ianto whispered, fighting back his tears again. Tosh reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek. He smiled down at her and crossed over to the coffee machine, pouring himself a mug of coffee before going up to Jack's office.

Owen and Gwen ran across the plass to the SUV, clambered in and drove off with a screech of rubber. They drove through the quiet Cardiff streets at breakneck speed from the Hub up towards the castle, intent only on finding and catching Manger.

* * *

Ianto desperately needed to occupy himself thoroughly so that his mind was taken off Jack lying still in the autopsy room. To try and achieve this he busied himself with tidying up the Captain's messy desk. He filed various strange bits and pieces away, collected up the dirty coffee mugs, threw an empty pizza box that they had overlooked the last time they had ordered take away into the bin and moved everything else on the desk into order. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he did not notice Toshiko standing in the doorway watching him. The Welshman took a step back from the desk and looked at it, then set about re-arranging what he had just arranged. He stepped away to look at it again and then moved to re-arrange it once more.

"Leave it, Ianto," Toshiko said quietly.

Startled, he looked up at her.

"I have to do something to keep myself occupied," he pleaded.

"If you keep re-arranging that desk it'll drive you to distraction. Besides what will Jack say if he can't find anything?"

Ianto looked back down at the desk.

"I could show him….." His voice trailed off.

"Oh he'd love that," Toshiko replied, with something akin to a snort. "The self-reliant Captain Jack Harkness being reduced to asking where everything is."

"I see your point."

"Good." Toshiko moved over to the young Welshman, feeling the pain rolling off him in waves. She rested a hand on his arm and pulled him gently from the office.

"Go to Jack," she told him softly. "He needs you; the desk doesn't."

Ianto nodded and walked off, cradling his mug of coffee tight to his chest. Toshiko watched him go before turning to the desk and straightening a pen.

* * *

_The lounge was typical of the 1930s and could have been anywhere in the western world but was, in fact, in Hollywood. Morning sunlight poured through a large bay window onto a chaise longe where Cole Porter sat, dressed in smoking jacket and trousers. Leaning against the back of the chaise longe he nonchalantly puffed away at a small cheroot. Jack sat on the floor at his feet, wrapped in a short dressing gown, his head resting on Cole's knee. Porter was absent-mindedly stroking Jack's hair as they chatted quietly. _

_After some time Cole got up, took Jack's hand and led him over to the grand piano that sat in the bay window. He leant in to kiss the younger man and his hand slipped beneath Jack's robe to fondle him. Jack's eyes closed, his head fell back and he ran his tongue over his lips in pleasure. Cole smiled at the ecstatic expression on the younger man's face before withdrawing his hand, sitting down at the piano, opening the lid and beginning to play and sing "Love for Sale". _

_After listening to the first verse with his eyes shut, Jack opened them and leant languidly over the piano. Looking straight into Cole's eyes he joined in the song and they carried on in a companionable fashion. Suddenly though, as if he sensed something, his back stiffened and his eyes slid away from the pianist and over to the other side of the piano. A young man was leaning over the instrument mimicking the Captain's stance. He was haloed by the sun and watching Jack closely. Surprised and intrigued Jack stopped singing and locked eyes with the stranger. They stood like that for a few moments until the apparition dropped his eyes and turned away, walking off through the window. Jack had the distinct impression that there had been tears shining in the man's eyes and he stared at the place where the image had stood, frowning as jagged fragments tugged at his memory._

* * *

Standing at the top of the autopsy room stairs, Ianto could hear muttering coming from the table below. Noting the frantic movement of the Captain's eyes behind their lids, Ianto ran down the stairs and crossed over to him. He took Jack by the shoulder and shook him, crying his name. The only response he got, however, was Jack falling back into his inert state. The young Welshman clutched his lover's body to him, disregarding the wires.

"Jack!" he wailed, pressing a kiss into the older man's hair.

While Ianto continued his vigil at Jack's side Gwen and Owen had reached the castle and were standing at the end of the drawbridge. The streets were deserted except for a couple of drunks who were trying to weave their way home.

"Tosh, have you got our position?" Owen asked. Toshiko replied in the affirmative even as the doctor continued to enquire where Bilis was.

"I'm not sure……he was……," Tosh began and then there was silence. "Wait

a minute," she apologised.

"Take your time, Tosh, we can't afford to scare him away," Owen told her.

After what seemed like a lifetime their comlinks crackled into life again and Tosh's voice could be heard.

"The energy appears to be pooling in the gardens down by the river," she told the waiting pair.

"Okay, guide us Tosh," Gwen instructed.

"Don't you just hate chasing round the streets at night?!" Owen observed to no one in particular. Gwen glared at him.

"It's what we do, Owen," she pointed out sharply.

"I know. I know," he replied. "Doesn't stop me hating it though!"

Gwen and Owen set off at a run around the castle and down through the trees towards the river. Suddenly, without any warning, a couple of Weevils emerged from the bushes along the side of the path. They came to an abrupt halt when they saw the two humans hurtling towards them, standing and snarling at Gwen and Owen who found that they too had to stop to avoid a nasty collision.

"That's all we need," Gwen snapped in exasperation.

As all four of them stood glaring at each other, trying to decide what to do, the figure of Bilis flitted through the trees behind the Weevils.

"There's Bilis," Owen hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"Fuck!"

"You go get Bilis; I'll deal with the Weevils," Owen told her.

"Owen, I can't leave you two against one!"

"You'll have to if we're going to get Bilis."

Gwen stood undecided for a few moments as Owen began to lay into the Weevils. Suddenly she spun round and hit out at the closest of the creatures. There was a brief fight before the Weevils were overcome, subdued by the Weevil spray.

"We haven't time to take them back to the Hub," Gwen pointed out, breathing heavily. Owen looked round quickly and then indicated a nearby bush.

"We'll have to hide them under that for the time being. Ianto……. we will have

to come and pick them up later," he said.

Gwen nodded in agreement and they started to drag one of the Weevils over to the bush.

"You need to go on a diet, mate!" Owen told the comatose creature.

As the two from Torchwood slowly dragged the first Weevil into hiding, they were aware of Bilis standing on the river bank, watching them. As they started to drag the second Weevil out of view he turned and walked casually away. Owen swore under his breath as Gwen activated her comlink.

"Tosh, we've lost Bilis again," she said breathlessly.

"How? You were almost on top of him!" Toshiko was astounded.

"We ran into some old friends," Owen snapped.

"What?"

"Never mind, Tosh. Come on, girl, what about Bilis?"

"He's just walking along the river bank," Tosh replied. "I'm surprised you can't still see him; he's close enough."

"Thanks, Tosh. Come on, Owen." Gwen grabbed Owen's arm and dragged him down to the river. Once there she released him and they drew their guns, following the river as it wound its way through the park.

As Owen and Gwen stalked their prey, Toshiko sat at her console, watching her screen intently, whilst Ianto had finally fallen asleep on a chair in the autopsy room, a half empty cup of coffee at his feet. Even in sleep, however, his face showed concern and grief.

After walking some distance Owen and Gwen finally spotted their quarry and quickened their pace, hoping to catch up with him before he reached the park gates and escaped into the streets. They were surprised then when Bilis suddenly stopped and turned to face them, an unpleasant smile on his face.

"So nice to see you again. Why are you following me?"

"We want that disruptor," Owen replied succinctly, waving his gun in its general direction.

"Well, well, well. If it's not Torchwood playing at heroes once more; only this time they're trying to save their precious Captain Jack."

"The disruptor," Gwen reiterated bringing her gun to bear on him.

"Here!" Bilis responded, raising the disruptor and pointing it at Owen who was closest to him.

"Owen!" Gwen screamed just as the doctor dived at Manger's feet, knocking him off balance and onto his back. The disruptor flew dramatically through the air and landed in the river.

"Quick, Gwen, Toshiko's gadget," Owen shouted.

Gwen pulled Toshiko's strange contraption from her belt and pointed it directly at Bilis. She pulled the trigger, bracing herself for the expected loud noise and recoil. There was nothing except for a faint puff of pink smoke and a small silver bullet left the muzzle. It almost floated towards Bilis who watched it contemptuously. Once it reached him, however, the effect was a little more showy as the bullet began to unfold into a fragile-looking silver net which slowly descended around Manger. Owen and Gwen looked on in absolute amazement, as they both still struggled to get their breath back after their fight with the Weevils.

"Is that it?" Owen wanted to know.

"Looks like it," Gwen muttered.

"Doesn't look strong enough to hold anyone, let alone someone who can move through time," Owen observed.

"Look!" Gwen cried as the net reached Bilis and his look of contempt was replaced by one of pain as he started to writhe in agony.

"Get it off me!" Manger screamed.

"Not on your life. It was designed to hold you and if it hurts as well I, for one,

aren't complaining. Are you Gwen?"

"Definitely not," Gwen concurred.

"Now," Owen continued, "Where's that disruptor?"

"Don't know," Bilis said at the same time as Gwen replied that it was in the river.

"Where is it?" Owen asked again, not having heard Gwen.

"I haven't got it, I tell you," Bilis replied coldly.

"Owen, the river," Gwen said again and then, as he clearly still had not heard her, she repeated, slowly and clearly, "Owen, the disruptor fell in the river."

"Oh, shit!" was Owen's considered reply. With a deep sigh he kicked off his shoes and dived into the dark water. After what seemed like an age he emerged with the disruptor held above his head.

"Got it," he advised them, rather unnecessarily Gwen thought.

"Let's hope the water hasn't affected it," she said. "Come on let's get back." She waved her gun at Bilis, indicating that he should take up point on the walk back to the SUV. He did so despite the fact that he was still writhing and whimpering under the silver net.

* * *

_The sixties gay bar was a dark and smoky nightclub with a plethora of flashing lights. Half naked men were cavorting on a catwalk in a room that was crowded with people dancing, smoking, drinking and talking. Couples were kissing and making out in corners and drugs were changing hands in the toilets. Jack picked his way through this melee, a drink held high over everyone's heads. He greeted some of the dancers as he made his way to a small table in one of the alcoves at the side of the room where James, a young blond with spiky hair, was seated, cradling a cocktail. He looked up as Jack sat down opposite him._

"_You came," he observed._

"_I said I would," Jack responded, leaning across the table and planting a quick kiss on the young man's lips._

"_I didn't quite believe……." James continued._

"_I promised didn't I?" Jack reassured him, running his thumb along the blond's lower lip. James nodded and downed the rest of his drink in one swallow. He stood up, holding his hand out to Jack who smiled at him with affectionate amusement._

"_Dance?" James asked shyly. Jack eyed the hand for a moment and then took it, allowing himself to be drawn into the blond's arms and on to the dance floor._

_Hours later they had fetched up in a small, dusty and cluttered room. A large window in one wall now allowed sunlight to stream onto the large double bed, which almost filled the entire room. James lay on his back on the bed, his face tilted away from the window, with Jack sprawled face down beside him, one arm resting across James' chest and a leg draped across the younger man's legs. The room smelt of smoke, sweat and semen, testimony to the small hours of the night having been spent in sex. _

_Jack smiled dreamily at his young paramour and ran a finger down the man's cheek. James yawned and stretched like a cat at the soft touch but did not wake up. Jack grinned and purred softly to himself. Suddenly a cold draught ran down his back, his smile faded and he turned his head quickly to find himself looking straight into a pair of the most drop dead gorgeous grey-blue eyes he had ever seen. _

_As Jack turned Ianto, who was crouched down beside the bed bathed in sunlight, smiled. He was watching his lover intently._

"_Jack," Ianto whispered._

"_I know you," Jack whispered back, desperately trying to figure out where he knew this stranger from and why his body was reacting as if it knew him intimately. Ianto nodded encouragingly at him. _

"_Yes, you do," he confirmed. Jack rolled over into a sitting position, easing the pressure on his filling cock, and then got up, leaving nothing to the imagination; not that there was anything that Ianto hadn't seen before. Indeed the Welshman glanced down at Jack's burgeoning erection and licked his lips as a pearl of moisture appeared on the tip. Fighting the urge to drop to his knees and take that precious piece of Jack into his mouth as he had done on so many occasions, Ianto stood still and faced his lover. They stood looking at each other for a moment, Jack more and more aware that his body was crying out for relief; relief that, he realised, only the stranger could give him. _

"_Come with me," Ianto said eventually in a husky voice, starting to walk away. He had reached the window when he turned, holding out his hand. Jack moved a couple of steps towards him but then turned to look behind him. Both the bed and James had faded away but, more disturbingly, when he turned back to the window Ianto too was fading, a look of inordinate sorrow on his face, until Jack was left standing on his own in a grey nothingness. Too late he remembered._

"_Ianto?" He looked round at the greyness. "Where am I?" he cried out as tears filled his eyes and he knew that the only relief he was going to get was from his own hand._

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The door to the Hub rolled open and Bilis, still netted, was frogmarched inside by an extremely pissed off Owen, closely followed by an equally pissed off Gwen. Toshiko ran over to them.

"You got him! Well done," she exclaimed just as Bilis screamed. She eyed him in surprise. "What's wrong with him?"

"Apparently he doesn't like your net," Owen replied.

"My net? Oh the time restrictor but it shouldn't…..it wasn't meant……"

"But it does. What did you think would happen?" Bilis demanded.

"Well, I don't know. I didn't think beyond stopping the movement between times."

"You didn't think! That's the trouble with Torchwood you don't think!"

"Here Tosh, see what you can make of this?" Owen said as he tossed the disruptor to her.

"The disruptor?"

Owen nodded as he and Gwen forcibly moved Bilis in the direction of the stairs leading into the bowels of the Hub. They almost had to drag the man down the steps and into the holding cells. He fought them the whole way, clinging to the door jambs, and they were both exhausted by the time they managed to get him into a cell and lock the door.

"At least take the restrictor off," Bilis whined.

"Not on your life," Owen managed to snap back inbetween deep breaths as Bilis retreated to the far corner of his cell.

"I think we'd better go get those Weevils while Tosh is working on the disruptor," Gwen suggested, not very enthusiastically.

"Good idea," Owen agreed with even less enthusiasm.

As they left the cells, they could feel Bilis glaring at their backs.

Before leaving to pick up the Weevils, however, Gwen went to see how Ianto was. She found him sitting backwards on a chair, his arms resting across the back, his head resting on his arms, fast asleep. She tiptoed down the stairs and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ianto."

Ianto woke with a start and looked round wildly.

"Jack?" His eyes came to rest on Gwen and he calmed down a little.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. How is he?"

"The same." He paused, trying to master his breathing which was erratic before saying, "I was there."

"Where?" Gwen asked in confusion.

"In Jack's past. I was there. I could see him. He looked happy. What if he doesn't want to come back?" he told her, with a catch in his voice.

"He'd always want to come back to you, Ianto," she assured him soothingly. "Besides he hasn't much choice, his place is here and we intend to get him back."

Ianto looked longingly at Jack, not noticing Gwen's own look that was almost a mirror image of his own.

"Maybe he's happier there," he murmured. "Maybe we don't have the right………"

"Maybe doesn't cut it! He's coming back whether he wants to or not," Gwen

snapped.

"But……"

"Ssh Ianto, just watch him. Don't let him wander too far. We've got Bilis; we'll do the rest."

Too worn out to argue with her Ianto put his head back down on his arms as she crossed to the table and smoothed Jack's hair with the back of her hand in that irritating way that he loathed. Before she left she glanced at Ianto again. What she saw made the mother hen in her kick in and she took a blanket out of a cupboard and draped it over the young man's shoulders. He mumbled in response to the additional warmth.

"You're welcome," she whispered, kissing him lightly on the forehead.

* * *

Toshiko was busily examining the disruptor as Owen and Gwen brought the two Weevils in.

"You couldn't give us a hand down to the cells with these could you Tosh?" Owen asked.

"Of course," she replied, glad for any excuse to take a break from staring at the piece of alien technology.

The three of them had just finished manhandling the creatures into a free cell and were standing outside Bilis', glaring at the man intently, when Ianto barrelled in through the heavy door. He pushed straight past them and pressed himself up against the glass of their prisoner's cell. Bilis took a reflexive step back from the white hot fury in the Welshman's face.

"What have you done to him, you bastard?" Ianto screamed. His three colleagues stepped back from his rage as well, taken aback by the Welshman's lack of control. They were so used to him keeping everything bottled up that they were surprised by his reaction.

"Who?" Bilis asked, trying to play all innocent.

"You know bloody well who I mean. Jack!"

"Oh yes, Captain Jack Harkness, your fearless leader. The man who destroyed Abaddon, the Destroyer."

"What have you done to him?"

"Locked him in his own private hell. My revenge."

"Fucking bastard!" Ianto ground out as he started to unlock the cell door. Gwen grabbed his hand.

"Ianto, what are you doing?" she cried in surprise.

"I'm going to kill him!" the Welshman replied before turning to Bilis. "I'm going to kill you!" he told the prisoner, voice dripping with hatred.

"Ianto, calm down. We need him to tell us about the disruptor," Gwen said in as reasonable a tone as possible while Owen grabbed his arms.

"Calm down, mate," the doctor advised him. "We're not thrilled about this either but Gwen's right, we need him."

Ianto struggled free from Owen's grip and pressed his face once more to the glass. He was struggling to gain his composure.

"All right," he agreed to everyone's relief. "But afterwards, I kill him."

"You'll get no argument from me," Owen replied.

Gwen and Toshiko looked at each other in concern.

"I don't think……." Tosh began.

Ianto whirled round.

"I don't care what you think; I'm going to kill him," he snarled at her, causing her to flinch. He stalked across to the door and turned to face them all. "I am going to kill him," he repeated, almost wrenching the door off its hinges as he left.

Slamming the door behind him, Ianto stormed up the stairs and into Jack's office, slamming that door closed as well. He swept everything off the desk, undoing all his tidying from earlier, and then hit it hard with his fist.

"Damn you Jack, for making me need you so much! And damn you Bilis, for hurting him!"

Frustrated, he took Jack's great coat from where it hung on its peg and wrapped himself in it before sitting at the desk. He breathed in Jack's scent as he rested his arms on the desk and placed his head on them. Tears began to fall, soaking into the heavy serge material.

Meanwhile in the holding cells Gwen, Tosh and Owen exchanged glances as the door closed behind the Welshman.

"He's taking this hard," Owen muttered.

"Wouldn't you if you loved someone as much as he loves Jack?!" Gwen

responded, a little too quickly.

"Do you think Jack knows how much Ianto loves him?" Toshiko asked quietly.

"Well, if he doesn't after tonight he's not as intelligent as I think he is!" Gwen replied.

"Or as sensitive…….." Owen added.

The three turned back to their more immediate problem – Bilis and how to get him to talk.

Still furious and still wrapped in Jack's great coat, Ianto made himself some more coffee, piling in more sugar than he usually indulged in. He took a sip of the steaming sweet beverage and then started to walk back towards the stairs leading to the holding cells. He had almost reached them before he checked and steeled himself then turned away, walking round the central core and sitting on the pavement elevator instead. He stared into his mug, taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

As Ianto fought with his inner demons, Gwen, Owen and Toshiko were still watching Bilis, desperately needing to extract information from him but unsure as to how to achieve that. Suddenly Gwen banged the glass door with her fist.

"You've got three people out here who want to kill you," she pointed out. "Four if you count Ianto."

"How touching," Bilis interrupted with a sneer.

"So you can do this the easy way or the hard way," Gwen continued as if he hadn't spoken. "How do we reverse the disruption?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, actually we would that's why we're asking you and why you're going to tell us," Owen added.

"And how are you going to make me?"

"Well, we could use the disruptor on you……"

A brief look of fear crossed Bilis' face at Owen's threat.

"Or turn up the temporal net," the doctor continued.

"Turn up?" Bilis queried with a small gulp.

"Oh yes, it's only on its lowest setting at the moment," Owen informed him.

Toshiko pulled Owen across to the other side of the room.

"What are you saying, Owen?" she hissed. "There is only one setting."

"But Bilis doesn't know that," he explained under his breath.

"He doesn't…….. Oh!"

"You're bluffing!" Bilis exclaimed suddenly, having watched their exchange like a hawk. "She didn't even know it would hurt which, by the way, I'm getting used to. Actually it's becoming quite pleasant."

"Great, we've got ourselves a masochist!" Owen groaned.

Bilis retired to the corner again, deep in thought and picking at the net in what appeared to be a nervous manner.

"We could experiment with the disruptor; after all we don't know how it works. It might take a number of, possibly very painful, attempts to find out," Toshiko suggested thoughtfully.

"You're right, Tosh," Gwen agreed, "And we won't lose any sleep over that any of us, Bilis. So just tell us how it works."

"Never."

"It's going to be a long night, as if it hasn't been already," Owen sighed.

"Do I get to eat?" Bilis asked hopefully.

"Not until you tell us what we want to know."

* * *

The night wore on. While Toshiko sat at her work station, frantically working away at the disruptor; firing it every now and again through a machine and taking the readings, Owen and Gwen were pacing up and down the cells, arguing with Bilis. Clutching his cooling mug of coffee Ianto had returned to the autopsy room and was sitting on the floor, his back resting against one of the walls, still wrapped in Jack's great coat.

When pacing and arguing got them nowhere, Gwen and Owen stopped by the cell door, watching Bilis who was still picking away at the temporal net.

"How are we ever going to persuade him?" Gwen whispered, glaring at the man over Owen's shoulder.

"No idea. And the net appears to be losing its potency. I'm afraid he's going to walk," Owen whispered back.

"Me too," Gwen agreed.

They turned back to Bilis just in time to see him look up in triumph.

"Done it." He opened his hands wide and fragments of the silver net fluttered to the floor. "Goodbye." Bilis stepped through the door and disappeared.

"Noooooooo!" Gwen screamed, slamming her fist into the door.

"Fucking bastard!" Owen shouted at the vacant cell.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Toshiko glanced up to see Owen and Gwen coming towards her. Catching sight of their faces, her heart almost stopped beating.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Bilis left," Owen informed her with barely disguised rage.

"Oh no!" Toshiko gasped. "What are we going to tell Ianto?"

"Nothing until we absolutely have to," Gwen said.

"It's down to you now, Tosh," Owen murmured.

Toshiko grabbed the disruptor and shook it in his face.

"And what if I can't Owen? I'll have condemned Jack to wander his past for eternity and as for Ianto…….," her voice died away as she realised what this meant. Gwen squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"If anyone can do it, you can Toshiko. I have every faith in you," the ex-policewoman said.

"And so do I," Owen agreed confidently.

"In that case let me get on with it. A coffee would be nice though."

"I'll get you one," Owen said softly and walked across to the coffee machine.

"Take your time, Tosh," Gwen encouraged her.

"But that's the one thing I don't have," she almost wailed as Owen returned with a mug of coffee and placed it in her hands.

"Drink your coffee; take a breather and then start again. Come on." He led her to the boardroom, an arm round her shoulders, as Gwen glanced up at the monitor of the autopsy room.

"So sorry, Jack," she whispered.

* * *

_The wooden stage at the Globe Theatre, situated next to London's River Thames, was set as the Forest of Arden; the play currently showing being "As You Like It". It had just reached the part where Jaques was on stage delivering his famous "All the world's a stage" speech to a rowdy Elizabethan audience. It was also the part in the play where the heroine Rosalind was masquerading as a young man called Ganymede in order to teach the hero, Orlando, how to woo his love, the afore mentioned Rosalind! _

_The two young actors playing Orlando and Ganymede/Rosalind were peeping through the side curtains. As was the custom in those days Rosalind was being played by a man and that man was none other than Captain Jack Harkness. He was dressed in a long blonde wig which kept tickling his nose, causing him to periodically blow at it in a vain effort to remove the offending hair. Both young actors seemed to be more concerned with scanning the faces of the crowd than listening for their cues. Suddenly Orlando squealed and shook Jack's arm._

"_The Queen's in the box at the back," he murmured sotto voce._

_Jack's head bobbed around for a couple of seconds before he grabbed Orlando's arm in excitement. _

"_Yes, I can see her," he murmured back, his eyes continuing to sweep the audience for anyone else he might know. Suddenly he started back, almost treading on his companion's foot, as he spotted Ianto amongst the noisy rabble close to the stage. Orlando put a hand on Jack's shoulder and gently massaged it._

"_What's the matter?" he asked with concern._

"_What?" Jack replied, his attention still on the man outside. "Oh, nothing. I thought I saw…….," he finished lamely._

"_Saw who?" his companion asked._

"_Nobody," Jack answered softly, allowing the young actor playing Orlando to turn him into his arms and kiss him. It started as a gentle kiss but gradually grew more passionate until Touchstone walked between them, causing the pair to break apart, breathing heavily._

"_Not now, darlings, please," the older actor said. Orlando and Jack smiled sheepishly at each other and started to listen for their cue._

* * *

Ianto sat on the edge of the autopsy table, looking down at Jack. He took the Captain's hand in his and rubbed his thumb gently across the back of it. Owen and Gwen slept on the bench upstairs, heads resting against each other. Toshiko worked frantically on the disruptor.

* * *

"_As You Like It" had moved on a couple of acts and Ianto was now in the wings watching the scene that was being played out between Orlando and Ganymede/Rosalind. It was the scene where Orlando was actually wooing Rosalind in the guise of Ganymede and there was a lot of talk about kisses. A small smile played on Ianto's lips as he mouthed the words he was hearing._

* * *

Ianto still sat on the table, looking down at Jack. He wore the same smile that he had had on his lips in the Globe Theatre.

"I take thee, Rosalind, for wife," he quoted in a murmur, brushing a stray lock of hair away from the Captain's closed eyes and placing a gentle kiss on the soft lips.

Meanwhile Toshiko paced up and down in front of the sleeping Owen and Gwen, muttering to herself.

* * *

"_As You Like It" had again moved on towards the final denouement with most of the major characters filling the small stage and trying not to tread on their fellow actor's toes. The disguised Rosalind was reminding everyone of the promises they had made that she expected them to keep after which she and the actor playing Celia left the stage. _

_There was a short passage of time before Jack, now playing the restored Rosalind, Celia and the god Hymen, returned. Frantically trying to recall the words, Rosalind crossed the stage to the character of Duke Senior._

"_To you I give myself, for I am yours," she said to her stage father before crossing over to Orlando, almost tripping over a piece of scenery on the way. Orlando put out his hand to catch Jack's elbow, in order to steady him, as he began his next speech. _

"_To you……" Having recovered his balance, he looked up and stuttered to a halt as he found himself looking into Ianto's face. Everything around him faded away as he saw the man he loved standing in front of him. Suddenly the voice of the prompt from off stage could be heard and he quickly recollected himself and held out his hands, eager now to finish the play._

"_To you I give myself, for I am yours," he managed to get out, trying to lose himself in Ianto's eyes._

"_If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter," Duke Senior continued in a monotone._

_Ianto took Jack's hands gently in his._

"_If there be truth in sight, you are my Rosalind," he said gently, dropping a kiss into the palm of one of the hands he held. Jack shivered with desire but finally dragged his gaze away from the sight of his lover to try and concentrate on what was happening._

"_If sight and shape be true, why then, my love adieu!" the character of Phebe lisped as Jack turned to face Duke Senior._

"_I'll have no father, if you be not he," he said to him before turning back to Ianto and looking deep into his eyes again. "I'll have no husband, if you be not he," he said with feeling. He struggled through his final words to Phebe and then, as Hymen stepped forward and started his final speech, Ianto pulled Jack into his arms and kissed him deeply, their tongues tangling with each other, and their hands exploring each other's bodies, as if for the first time. _

* * *

Ianto was still sitting on the side of the table, looking down at Jack. He touched his lips with his fingers and smiled.

Owen and Gwen continued to sleep, propped up against each other. Toshiko glanced across at them and then down at the disruptor. She picked it up and shook it hard.

* * *

_The play had finished; the actors had left the stage; the audience had gone home and the auditorium was now dark and empty. In a pool of moonlight Jack and Ianto were sitting on one of the logs from the forest set. Jack had his head in his hands and Ianto was resting his hand lightly in the small of Jack's back. Jack looked up at Ianto, his face weary and sad._

"_I'm tired of wandering, Ianto," he said softly._

"_You are?"_

"_I want to come home."_

"_Why don't you then?"_

"_Because……." Jack tapped his head viciously._

"_We're working on it," Ianto assured him, "but I need to know you want to come back."_

"_Believe me, I want to."_

_Ianto got to his feet and held out his hands._

"_Come on then." He took Jack's hands and pulled the Captain to his feet, leading him through the back drapes of the stage and into the Hub. As Ianto passed through the drapes he faded away._

* * *

Jack stopped in the gap in the drapes and looked down at himself on the table and then at Ianto who was now fast asleep in the chair beside him.

"Honey, I'm home," he called. He stretched his hand out towards Ianto but was taken aback when he realised that he could see the floor through it. He snatched it back and examined it closely. "Here, but not here," he commented as he walked into the room and over to the table before glancing up at the monitor to see Toshiko at her workstation. He was just in time to see her throw her screwdriver across the area in a sudden rage.

"Damn, why can't I figure you out?!" he heard her exclaim before she looked straight into the CCTV at her station so that her face appeared large in the autopsy room's monitor.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry, Ianto," she wailed, putting her head down on her worktop and beginning to cry. Jack winced at her obvious distress and then his attention was drawn to the disruptor and he stared at it for a couple of moments deep in thought before his face lit up.

"Yes!" he exclaimed and dropped a kiss on the top of Ianto's head. The Welshman batted at his head, as if at an annoying gnat, but continued sleeping. Jack crossed over to the CCTV camera and looked straight into it.

"Please hear me," he prayed and then called "Tosh!"

Bent over her desk Toshiko was crying so hard that she did not hear Jack call her name.

"Toshiko!" Jack's voice came again through the monitor, stronger than before and with a sense of urgency to it.

Tosh sat bolt upright and looked round wildly.

"Jack?!" she cried as she caught sight of the monitor and saw his face in it.

"Get me back, Tosh, please," the Captain pleaded.

"I'm trying to but I can't make it work. Help me, Jack."

He smiled at her reassuringly and then glanced past her into the central area of the Hub.

"You'll need that screwdriver," he observed softly.

Toshiko blushed and went to retrieve the screwdriver. Returning to her workstation she picked up the disruptor again.

* * *

Down in the autopsy room Ianto was beginning to wake up as Toshiko ran across to Gwen and Owen and shook them awake.

"I've done it," she squealed.

"Done what?" Owen asked, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.

"Worked out how the disruptor works," Tosh responded indignantly.

"Oh good work, Tosh," Gwen praised her.

"Well Jack did help," she told them.

"Jack?" Gwen asked in surprise.

"What did you say?" demanded Owen at the same time.

"Jack helped. He came to me and told me what to do," Tosh explained.

"Sleep deprivation. You were hallucinating," Owen assured her condescendingly.

"Lack of caffeine. Result's the same," Gwen agreed.

"But he…….Oh never mind. We don't have much time" Tosh cried.

Owen and Gwen struggled to their feet, still yawning, and they all headed for the autopsy room. Running down the steps, they found Ianto standing by the bed, looking down at Jack. He was gently stroking the Captain's cheek but looked up as Toshiko placed a hand gently on his arm.

"It's all right, Ianto, we can bring him back. I know how. He told me," she told him quietly.

"I thought he might. He was so close that time I could feel him," Ianto murmured back.

Owen and Gwen exchanged puzzled glances.

"If we _could_ give over with the telepathy and things and get down to business," Gwen pressed.

Yes, of course," Tosh responded, pointing the disruptor at Jack, but Ianto took it gently from her hands.

"I'll do it," he said softly.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you. It's just that…."

"You love him. I understand." She drew him to one side to explain the intricacies of the disruptor to him.

Gwen leant over Jack and brushed her hand lightly over his hair, once again unconsciously mimicking Ianto earlier. Owen walked slowly to the other side of the table. Gwen looked up at him.

"I can't believe this nightmare is about to end," she whispered.

"It's been a long night," Owen moaned.

Ianto walked back to the table and kissed Jack on the lips, uncaring of who saw him, before he took a deep breath and fired the disruptor at him. The Captain was bathed in a red light that seemed to seep in through his pores.

"How long before it takes effect?" Owen wanted to know.

"That he didn't tell me," Toshiko replied.

"Then why don't you all go home? I'll call when anything happens," Ianto suggested.

"I want to stay," Gwen pouted.

"There's no reason to. We know it will work. It's just a matter of waiting and you all might as well do that in the comfort of your own homes," Ianto countered reasonably.

Without pausing for thought, Owen was already up the steps and half out of the Hub before anyone else had time to react.

"'Night, Ianto, mate," he called as he went.

Toshiko hesitated and put a hand on Ianto's arm, slowly walking towards the door with him. They were followed by a reluctant Gwen.

"Will you be all right on your own?" Tosh asked the young man.

"More than all right and I want to savour that," Ianto said with a broad grin. Toshiko nodded her understanding and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.

"'Night, Ianto," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Tosh," he responded, returning her kiss.

Gwen hovered in the background, watching.

"I really want to stay," she told them.

"And for once I don't want you to," Ianto said, slightly sharply. "Please go home, Gwen, leave Jack and I together. Go home and make love to Rhys."

"But…." she objected.

"Go home," he told her firmly and, taking her by the elbow, steered her towards the door.

"Come on, Gwen, just this once do as you're asked," Tosh advised in a tone of exasperation.

Gwen stared at her in amazement for a moment and then shrugged Ianto's hand off.

"All right I'm going," she snapped.

She didn't look happy but followed Toshiko out; however, as the door rolled shut behind them, she turned to look back into the Hub with a scowl. Ianto hesitated for a couple of moments and then locked the door behind them. He pocketed the key and turned back for the autopsy room, turning lights out as he went.

* * *

Dawn started to creep through the cracks in the Hub as Jack continued to lie without moving on the table. Ianto had fallen asleep once more in a chair beside him, his head resting lightly against Jack and one arm draped across the Captain's bare chest. The great coat was lying on the floor.

Jack's eyes flickered open but it took a moment or two for him to register where he was before he sat up sharply, waking Ianto in the process. Their eyes met and locked for a moment and then Ianto stood up abruptly and started to turn away, taking out his mobile 'phone.

"I must call and tell……." he began as Jack swung his legs over the edge of the table.

"Thank you," Jack said. Ianto glanced back at him briefly and then stepped hesitantly away from the table.

"I have to….." he began again.

Jack pulled the wires off himself impatiently and stood up. He took a step forward and caught Ianto's hand, taking the 'phone from him and placing it on the table.

"Hey, Ianto!" the Captain called softly. Ianto turned back to him, his eyes resting on the floor between them. He was visibly shaking and his downcast eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"Thank you," Jack continued in the same soft tones.

"I thought I'd lost you," Ianto murmured. Jack let go of the young man's hand and cupped his chin in his hands. He raised Ianto's face so that they were looking at each other.

"Ssh," Jack cajoled him. He kissed Ianto gently on the lips but the young man was shaking too much to reciprocate. Jack ran a thumb lightly along the Welshman's lips and then along his lower eyelids, wiping the tears away before they fell. He then placed a hand behind Ianto's head and pulled him into a fiercely passionate kiss which the younger man could not resist and fell into. Finally they drew apart, foreheads touching; Jack's hand resting on Ianto's throat and both breathing heavily. Ianto's eyes moved down Jack's body and come to rest on his groin. He licked his lips.

"I need……" he said hoarsely.

"Where are the others?" Jack asked.

"Gone home," Ianto replied, breathlessly, raising his eyes and locking them with Jack's, allowing his hunger to show raw and intense.

Jack smiled and started to slowly undo Ianto's shirt buttons. He slid his hands up the young man's chest and slipped the shirt off.

"Come here," he said suggestively, hooking a finger into the top of Ianto's trousers and pulling him into another kiss, a hard one, before walking him backwards until they fetched up against the wall. Pushing the Welshman's arms up above his head and entwining their fingers he started an onslaught on Ianto's neck and chest with his lips, tongue and teeth making the younger man squirm and moan.

Gradually Jack moved down Ianto's body, his fingers rubbing the young man's nipples into hard peaks while his tongue lapped at the enticing navel. As Jack sank lower down his body, Ianto's arms became leaden and dropped to the Captain's head, hands tangling in the dark hair and pulling hard as his back arched and he whimpered in anticipation.

Taking his cue from Ianto's moans Jack ran a finger round the waistband of the Welshman's trousers before carefully unzipping and pushing them down the long trembling legs. The boxers followed and, dropping to his knees, he made sure that Ianto had stepped out of them before nibbling his way back up the inner flesh of the younger man's enticing thighs until he reached his goal. Licking the drop of moisture that hung from the tip of Ianto's swollen cock he could wait no longer and took the whole length into his mouth in one. The Welshman howled as he felt the cool tongue brushing against his inflamed flesh and he flung his head back against the wall.

Jack proceeded to move his mouth up and down the younger man's cock gradually gathering pace until he felt Ianto's back arch and his whole body tremble signalling his lover's approaching release. Suddenly Ianto screamed his name and came with such violence that Jack was almost knocked off his knees; all the pent up emotion of the night seeming to be released as he shot his load into the Captain's mouth. Finally, having milked his lover dry, Jack made his way back up Ianto's body supporting the young man's shaking legs and sharing his prize with him in a mind-blowing kiss.

Eventually, when they were both in need of air, Jack reluctantly drew away from Ianto, gently pulling at the younger man's lower lip with his teeth as he did so. Ianto moaned and his head dropped onto Jack's shoulder, his face nuzzling into that delicious spot where neck met chest. The Captain's arms went round the Welshman and hugged him tightly.

"Welcome home, sir," Ianto whispered. Jack nibbled at his ear.

"I've never been so glad to be anywhere as I am to be here," he admitted quietly to the young man. Ianto wriggled in his arms, grinding his hips into Jack's.

"Show me," the Welshman suggested as Jack groaned at the friction caused by the wriggling. He continued to nuzzle at the base of his lover's neck, gradually edging the pair of them towards the autopsy table and only stopping when the back of Jack's legs came into contact with it. Then, with a wicked grin, he slid his hands down Jack's torso, whilst nibbling and licking in an echo of the Captain's earlier moves over his own body, until they reached the waistband of the older man's trousers. Jack's head fell further and further back at the electric sensations that were running through him from Ianto's attack. Without opening his eyes Ianto managed to undo the other man's trousers and start them on their way to the floor.

The Welshman was reluctant to leave the comfort of Jack's body but the Captain's soft moans encouraged him to drop to his knees and finish manoeuvring the trousers down and over Jack's feet before travelling back up the strong legs, tracing patterns on the smooth flesh with his tongue. Reaching Jack's groin he buried his face in the soft hair that he had thought he might never feel again and was so overwhelmed by the thought that tears began to fall.

As Ianto cried, Jack bent and pulled him to his feet, enfolding him in strong warm arms and allowing the young man to vent his emotions. He stroked the Welshman's dark hair and murmured comforting words until the tears began to dry. Jack tenderly wiped the tears away with his thumb and then leant in to kiss Ianto, imbuing it with as much passion and love as he could. Gradually the younger man responded, his tongue tangling with the Captain's.

Finally Ianto was in control of himself enough to snake his hand down between their two bodies and take Jack in hand, rolling the Captain's balls between his fingers. Jack moaned into his mouth and then whimpered as the younger man moved away and buried his face once more into the crook of his lover's neck, biting down hard and then blowing gently on the place where there would be a wonderful bruise tomorrow; but Jack didn't care, he'd never felt so alive and loved the pain that affirmed it to him.

"Show me how glad you are," Ianto murmured against Jack's hot flesh as he manoeuvred their bodies so that the backs of his own legs were now pressed to the table. He continued to gently massage Jack's balls as he untangled himself from the Captain's hold and lay down across the table, letting his legs splay apart so that he was completely open to receive Jack's shaft. The captain watched the erotic show and shivered in anticipation before turning to look for something he could use as lube.

He spotted a tube of antiseptic cream lying on one of the instrument trolleys and leant over Ianto pressing chest to chest and cock to cock as he reached for it. Ianto captured his lips in another sensual kiss as he stretched across him, tongues once more tangled. Snagging the tube he managed to bring it across to the table without dropping it and then moved back down Ianto's body, once more licking and biting at the tender flesh. He spent a long while over the dusky nubs of the Welshman's nipples, making them so hard that Ianto thought he would scream and come again before Jack got anywhere near to entering him. Jack smirked, knowing exactly what was happening to his young lover.

At last the Captain crouched down beside the table, between Ianto's legs, and ran his tongue up the Welshman's thick purple shaft until he reached the entrance to his lover. Gently he rimmed the hole with his tongue, feeling the muscles pulsate in response. As he did so he took the top off the tube of cream and lathered his fingers with it before pressing one, then two and finally three fingers into the welcoming opening, scissoring them and stretching his lover in preparation for the final act of love. As he worked he concentrated on catching Ianto's prostrate causing him to howl and arch off the table, flashing lights in front of his eyes.

Once he felt that Ianto was ready he slicked his own cock liberally with the cream and pressed it to the Welshman's opening. Slowly and gently he pushed past the tense muscle and into the velvety heat of the other man's body. Ianto moaned and then sighed with such pleasure that Jack almost came there and then but managed to contain himself. Not for the first time he watched himself slide effortlessly into Ianto and wondered what it was that made this incredible man accept him so openly and so lovingly.

He leant forward, resting his hands on the table beside Ianto's body, until he was fully sheathed and could catch the prostrate again, determined to give his lover the most intense experience possible. Ianto's hips began to buck against him and this movement, along with his own pushing, steered them towards great heights. Jack kept a stern check on himself at first to try and extend their please for as long as possible. Finally it became impossible and he started to slam into Ianto harder and faster, bringing them both closer and closer to the edge.

Suddenly he lifted his hands and took Ianto's straining cock in them, moving his fingers up and down the hot flesh and twisting roughly until Ianto screamed his name once more and came all over his stomach, closely followed by Jack shooting his load into the young man's body before collapsing on top of him. They lay pressed together, sweat and semen mingling, blissfully unaware of their surroundings as Jack's now limp shaft slipped from Ianto's body and cum dribbled down the Welshman's legs. Ianto managed to lift his head enough to kiss the top of Jack's head as their breathing gradually evened out and the Captain traced lazy patterns on the other man's chest.

The rest of the night was spent in a mixture of tender loving and hard passionate fucking and afterwards, as they lay curled together on Jack's great coat sated and tumescent, Ianto reflected on being exactly where he had wanted to be at the beginning of this long dark nightmare of a night. So the bed was missing but that didn't matter when you were entwined with your lover who, just minutes before, had been conjoined so intimately with yourself that neither knew where they finished and the other started. He smiled and fell asleep in his Captain's arms.


End file.
